Christopher Constantino joins Peter Reitzes to discuss if speech-language pathologists (SLPs) should continue to evaluate and treat people who stutter. This is episode four in a series on the topic.

Christopher Constantino, CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters living in Memphis, Tennessee where he is a speech-language pathologist in Shelby County Schools and a PhD candidate in communication sciences and disorders at the University of Memphis.

They discuss the overwhelming relief of meeting other people who stutter and much more.The point is made, “We may not look alike, but the stories are the same.” Other conversations include how stuttering behaviors and reactions are impacted by certain places, family and friends.

Bornwell Katebe is a person who stutters and PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette studying under Dr. John Tetnowski. Bornwell is from Mufulira, Zambia.

LJ Mucheje is a person who stutters and resides in Chesterfield, VA. He is an environmental engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation and works on reducing noise pollution. He is from Zimbabwe.

Christopher Constantino, CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host, and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is an ASHA certified, Tennessee licensed, speech-language pathologist at Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN. His research has sought to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter. Currently he is studying the subjective experience of stuttering, he is interested in defining and measuring the degree to which communication feels spontaneous, regardless of fluency. Chris’s StutterTalk episodes are known for finding common ground between disability rights and speech-language pathology.

They discuss conference highlights so far which include Lee Reeve’s keynote, Barry Yeoman and Chaya Goldstein’s movement workshop, Yeoman and Constantino’s masculinity workshop, the positive vulnerability of stuttering, the kids’s talent show and their open stuttering on stage, role models of all ages, Schuff’s Avoidance Reduction workshop followed by the difficult and meaningful break out sessions and so much more.

Jia Bin is a person who stutters from China living in Michigan. Ms. Bin is a high school Chinese Teacher.

Elizabeth Wislar is a person who stutters and a teacher of students with disabilities. She lives in Athens, Ga. USA with her husband, daughter and 7 pets. She loves to run, cook, read and write. She is a co-leader of the Athens, Georgia National Stuttering Association chapter and writes a blog about being a teacher who stutters.

Reuben Schuff is an author and roving host for StutterTalk. By profession and passion he is an aerospace engineer, and also, a traveler, a juggler, a Toastmaster, and a person who stutters. He is a workshop presenter for the National Stuttering Association’s annual conference and is the co-founder of the Raleigh Teens Who Stutter (TWST) chapter of the NSA. Reuben also facilitates and presents with FRIENDS (the National Organization for Young People who Stutter). Reuben is author of the chapter Fluency: My Untrustworthy Friend in the StutterTalk book: Stuttering: Inspiring Stories and Professional Wisdom.

Christopher Constantino, CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host, and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is an ASHA certified, Tennessee licensed, speech-language pathologist at Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN. His research has sought to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter. Currently he is studying the subjective experience of stuttering, he is interested in defining and measuring the degree to which communication feels spontaneous, regardless of fluency. Chris’s StutterTalk episodes are known for finding common ground between disability rights and speech-language pathology.

Christopher Constantino joins Peter Reitzes to discuss his speaking experiences as a person who stutters who is a member of the Secular Franciscan Order of the Catholic church.

Topics include speaking and stuttering when leading prayers and during confession and grace. Constantino and Reitzes consider issues related to spontaneity of speech, stuttering and “controlling” stuttering.

Christopher Constantino, CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host, and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is an ASHA certified, Tennessee licensed, speech-language pathologist at Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN. His research has sought to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter. Currently he is studying the subjective experience of stuttering, he is interested in defining and measuring the degree to which communication feels spontaneous, regardless of fluency. Chris’s StutterTalk episodes are known for finding common ground between disability rights and speech-language pathology.

Caryn Herring, Christopher Constantino, Mark Baer and Dhruv Gupta join Reuben Schuff at the 2016 annual convention of FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter. They discuss ways to change public perceptions about stuttering such as actively stuttering and grapple with issues such as moving from “stuttering is okay” to “stuttering is fun and pleasant.”

The quote of the episode goes to Mr. Constantino who observes, “I think this is a cool time to be a stutterer.”

Much of the conversation touches upon Mr. Constantino’s powerful keynote address at FRIENDS regarding tearing down walls of ignorance and discrimination. Other topics include urging others who stutter to listen to each other’s experiences with the physical pain and struggle of stuttering. While acknowledging the importance of educating others about stuttering, Caryn points out that she doesn’t want to be responsible for educating society every time she opens her mouth. The team discuss wanting to advocate for others who stutter while also wanting to live and speak with little struggle.

The FRIENDS conference took place July 28-30 in Columbus. Ohio.

Caryn Herring is a person who stutters and a speech-language pathologist, currently pursuing her PhD at The University of Pittsburgh. Caryn is also an adjunct clinical instructor at Duquesne University, supervising graduate students and teaching the Stuttering Course. She is an active member of numerous stuttering organizations.

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter.

Reuben Schuff is an author and roving host for StutterTalk. By profession and passion he is an aerospace engineer, and also, a traveler, a juggler, a Toastmaster, and a person who stutters. He is a workshop presenter for the National Stuttering Association (NSA) annual conference and is the co-founder of the Raleigh Teens Who Stutter (TWST) chapter of the NSA. Reuben also facilitates and presents with FRIENDS (the National Organization for Young People who Stutter). Reuben is author of the chapter Fluency: My Untrustworthy Friend in the StutterTalk book: Stuttering: Inspiring Stories and Professional Wisdom.

Dhruv Gupta is a sustainability advisor at cBalance, a volunteer with The Indian Stammering Association, and the founder of Speak: Stammering Foundation. In 2015, Dhruv facilitated a two day FRIENDS workshop in India and has appeared a number of times on StutterTalk.

Mark Baer is a speech-language pathologist at Sisskin Stuttering Center and for the District of Columbia Public Schools. He earned his M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Memphis. Mark is a person who stutters and an active member of the National Stuttering Association.

Mary McLoughlin joins Chris Constantino at the 2016 annual convention of FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter to discuss the power of vulnerability, what we gain by stuttering freely and how stuttering leads to intimate and meaningful relationships with other people. Ms. McLoughlin explains that she keeps returning to FRIENDS conventions because “I couldn’t be in better company.”

Other topics include the value of stuttered communication, stuttering freely and openly, meeting people who stutter with confidence and positivity, taking ownership of stuttering, how stuttering voices create spaces for intimacy and vulnerability, using voluntary stuttering to ground communication and much more.

The FRIENDS conference takes place July 28-30 in Columbus, Ohio.

Mary McLoughlin is from Long Island, New York and will be a student at the University of Dayton starting this fall. She plans on majoring in English. This is her third FRIENDS conference.

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter.

Michael Turner joins Christopher Constantino to discuss The Way We Talk, an award winning documentary about stuttering.

Michael Turner is a filmmaker and a person who stutters. Turner was awarded the 2015 Oregon Media Arts Fellowship for The Way We Talk, his documentary about his experiences with stuttering. The film is currently touring festivals and universities nationwide, and premieres internationally next month at the One World International Human Rights Film Festival in Prague. Mike lives in Oregon and is about to become a dad.

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter.

Iain Wilkie and Walter Scott join Christopher Constantino to discuss supporting people who stammer at work and in the military in the UK and their work with The Employer’s Stammering Network and Defense Stammering Network. Wilkie and Scott discuss their mission of changing the culture around employability and the victories and growth that many people who stammer find when seeking support and being open about stuttering.

Iain Wilkie is a Senior Partner at EY and the Founder of the Employer’s Stammering Network.

Walter Scott is a Civil Servant in the Ministry of Defense Head Office and a founding member of the Defense Stammering Network.

Walter Scott

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters, a StutterTalk host and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter.

When should a therapist “push” the client during treatment and when should the therapist “back off?” Today on StutterTalk, Bob “the Expert” Quesal and Christopher Constantino join Peter Reitzes to discuss the speech-language pathologist’s role in encouraging and supporting risk taking during stuttering treatment. Topics include readiness for change, respecting the wishes of students and clients, the role of motivation in treatment, self help vs therapy, “pushing” the client towards meaningful goals, the possible tampering down of speaking excitement during speech therapy and much more.

Chris Constantino

Robert Quesal, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a professor emeritus of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western Illinois University, a person who stutters, a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and a retired Board Certified Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorders.

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter.

Today on StutterTalk Christopher Constantino and Peter Reitzes discuss the problem with fluency. The problem includes the common use of the term fluency when stuttering is more specific and appropriate and the suggestion that something called fluency should be the focus and goal of all treatment. Chris discusses these issues from disability rights and speech-language pathology perspectives. Constantino points out that “fluency isn’t automatically better than stuttering” and discusses his research into spontaneity and “seeking a more nuanced understanding of stuttered and fluent speech.” Listener comments and questions are discussed.

Christopher Constantino is a person who stutters and a PhD student in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis. Chris is doing his clinical fellowship in the Shelby County Schools in Memphis and is conducting a research study to understand and contextualize the experiences of passing as fluent for people who covertly stutter.

About StutterTalk

StutterTalk® is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to talking openly about stuttering. StutterTalk is the first and longest running podcast on stuttering. Since 2007 we have published more than 600 podcasts which are heard in 180 countries.